Ditching machine



F New Mum Y Feb. 24-. 1925.

A. J. PE NOTE DITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 36 5- v 28 a "1" Z9 Z6 fi ((15% Jiwerziar AzgasimJPenot;

Feb. '24a 1925,

J. PENOTE DITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18) 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm Pmaus'rus. A PENQTE.

Mm, 324.. m

A. .J. PENOTE DITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan 18, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES AUGUSTUS J. PENOTE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DITCEIING MACHINE.

Application filed January 18, 1923. Serial F0. 613,436,

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that I, AUeUsrUs J. PENo'rE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

1 This invention relates to ditching machines, such as are commonly employed to excavate trenches wherein pipe lines or the like may be laid.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ditching machine having a considerably lighter and more compact construction than has heretofore beenemployed in such a machine, these characteristics making it feasible to operate the machine upon a cement sidewalk without damage to the latter or within the-comparatively narrow confines of the space ordinarily intervening between curb and sidewalk in residence districts.

, One of the features contributing'to the light construction is the use of belt type traction elements and the elimination of steering wheels. 7 V

A. further feature is the novel provision for shifting the excavating wheel toward the W center of gravity of the machine as said wheel is raised to stored position, so as to minimize the total length of the machine under traveling conditions. 4

The invention further consists in. other structural features hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view of the improved machine inside elevation, showing in full lines the lowered or working position of the excavating wheel and indicating the raised or stored position thereof in dash lines;

Figure l 'is a agmentaryview showing the engagement of the arms for supportin .the excavating wheel with a vertically sli able pivot member;

Figure 1 is a section on 1ine 1"-1 of Fi re 1";

of sald machine, certain parts of the driving mechanis being broken away; I

' Figure is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a detail, in partial section, of a double acting clutch mechanism shown .in Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail of another clutch mechanism shown in Fi re 3, and serving to reverse the drive t rough the clutch of Figure 3;

Figure Lisa rear end view;

Figure 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing primarily the cutter wheel and its drive mechanism;

Figure 6- is a diagram of the various chain drives through which the vehicle is propelled. the'cutter wheel rotated, and the lifting and lowering cables for said wheel energized;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same. V

In these views the reference character 1 designates a pair of sill members formed preferably of channel bars, the same supporting a superstructure comprised of angle bars 2 constituting the main frame of the machine. The frame thus formed is carried upon-a sub-frame composed of cross bars 3 and sub-sills 4:, the latter extending at each side of the machine and carrying at their ends bearings 5 mounting stud shafts 6 extending from sprocket wheels 7 having driving engagement with belt type traction belts 8. The forward portion of the main frame 1, 2 projects preferably. considerably beyond said wheel, the forward end of said arms being ivoted, as indicated at 12, upon a carriage 13 vertically adjustable upon posts 14 i g j comprising a rear portion of the main frame i re 2 is an elevation of the other side 2. Said posts incline forwardly at a considerable angle so that an adjustment of said the described running-gear and provides a -mounting for. an internal combustion engine carriage 13 upwardly to establish the stored position of the parts accomplishes also a forward shifting of the arms 11 and excavating wheel. Said wheel, as is common practice, has the form of an annulus interlo-rly our naled upon rollers 15 arranged at the apices 5 of a triangular frame 16 secured to and depending from the arms 11. 17 designates the usual series of combined cutters and bucket members peripherally carried by the excavating wheel. 18 is the usual belt conveyor extending transversely through the cutter Wheel above the arms 11 and mounted upon pulleys l9attached to the arms 11 b rods 20. u

The means for elevating-the excavating wheel comprises a pair of cables 21 passing around sheaves 22 secured to the rear or free ends of said arms, said cables having corresponding extremities anchored, as indicated at 23, to the upper extremities of the posts 14 and having strands extending through a worm and worm wheel 26 and over pulleys 24 surmounting said posts and thence passing to a. pair of drums 25 fast upon a shaft 26. Said shaft is adapted to be driven from the counter-shaft 39 carried by the uprights 14:, then passing around sheaves 32 carried by the inner ends of the arms 11 and being finally attached to said uprights at 32*.

' The drive connection to the drums and 28 is established through a common clutch element 33 slidahle upon the shaft 27 to alternatively engage the clutch disks 35 and .36 for selectively establishing a drive to the drums 25 or 28. Provision is made for reversing the direction of drive to the shaft 27. Thus a bevel ear 27", fast upon the rear end of said 5 aft, is adapted to be driven selectively by either of two bevel gears 2 7 loose upon the shaft 39, and alternatively engageable by -a double acting c utch member 27' splined upon said shaft between said gears 27 (see Figure 3 Tracing now the drive from the countershaft 39 to the excavating wheel, 40 ,is a

chain, driven from said counter-shaft and driving a sprocket wheel 41' journaled upon the frame 2. From the last-mentioned sprocket wheel a chain 42 drives a shaft 43 transversely mounted upon the arms 11 and carrying drive wheels 44 engaging a gear 44 comprised by laterally projecting teeth on the excavating wheel. Upon the arms 11 there is longitudinally mounted a shaft. 45 driven from the shaft 43 and "having drive connection through a chain 46 one of the pulleys 19 mounting the conveyor belt.

The running gear is driven from the counter-shaft 39 through a chain 4:7 and through other mechanism which involves no novelty and consequently no description of the same is here required.

It will be observed that in the stored position of the excavating wheel the same overhangs the machine at the rear end, counter-balancing the overhanging forward portion of the machine which carries the engine. By virtue of this counterbalance arrangement the longitudinal extent of the machine under traveling conditions is considerably reduced as compared to machines heretofore employed for alike purpose. A further advantage of employing the described belt type traction element lies in the distribution of the weight of the machine to an extended supporting surface so that the concentration of the load when the same is distributed to the sidewalk or other surface whereon the machine is traveling will not be sufiicient to result in damage to said surface.

Employment of a single clutch member to control the drive connection to the drums receiving the cables for respectively raising the forward and rear ends of the arms carrying the excavating wheel simplifies the control of the machine.

,What I claim as my invention is:

1. An excavating machine comprising an excavating wheel, a mounting for said wheel, a post inclining from bottom to top toward a perpendicular through the center of gravity of the machine, and means for adjusting said mounting longitudinally upon said post.

2. 'An excavating machine comprising an excavating wheel, a mounting for said wheel, a pivotal support for said mounting, and a post inclined from bottom to top toward a perpendicular through the center of ravity of the machine upon which post sai pivotal support is adjustable up 'and down.

. 3. An excavating machine comprising a vehicular frame, an excavatin wheel, an elongated mounting for said w eel pivoted at one end to provide for angularly raising and lowering said frame, a pivotal support for said mounting, guide means for said pivotal support rising from said frame at an inclination toward a perpendicular through the center ofjgr chine, and means for ad uSting said pivotal support up and down upon said guide means. 7

4. An excavating machine comprising an excavating 'wheel, a supporting element therefor, a vehicular frame, said element being located endwise of said frame, and means carried by said frame. for guiding avity of the ma-' mamas I a the said supporting element upwardly and forwardly toward a perpendicular through the center of gravity of the machine.

5. An excavating machine comprising an 5 excavating wheel, an elongated supporting element for said wheel, a carriage adjustable upwardly and downwardly in a direction oblique to the u per surface of the machine, said supporting element being pivoted to said carriage, cables for raising 10 and lowering the respective ends of said e'ement, drums enga ed by said cables,

driving means for sai drums and a. clutch element adjustable to alternatively establish a drive to said drums. 

